title: Plasma amino acid concentrations in elderly patients with protein energy malnutrition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to compare amino acid concentrations in healthy and malnourished elderly patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  plasma amino acid concentrations were examined in 24 men and women (80-100 years of age) with protein energy malnutrition (PEM) and compared with those of 44 healthy, similarly-aged controls. Plasma samples were determined by using cation exchange columns with ninhydrin detection in an high performance liquid chromatography system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  essential amino acid and non-essential amino acid plasma concentrations were significantly decreased in PEM (0.01 < P < 0.0001). Branched-chain amino acids and urea cycle amino acid plasma concentrations fell significantly (P < 0.0001). Plasma concentrations of alanine and glutamic acid + glutamine were also significantly reduced (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  in underweight elderly patients, the plasma amino acid pattern reflects the severity of the metabolic disturbance.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biochimie, Service du Pr. Magnan de Bornier, Montpellier-Nîmes University Hospital Centre (CHU), France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polge
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bancel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bellet
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strubel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poirey
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peray
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carlet
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Magnan de Bornier
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000409:Alanine / Q000097:blood; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood*; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000097:blood; D000601:Amino Acids, Essential / Q000097:blood; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005973:Glutamine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D000601:Amino Acids, Essential; D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D000409:Alanine